Japan is not perfect: The truth about the obscure dark side of a flashy society, through the accounts of foreigners who have lived for a long time

Japan is a country that is often reclaimed in many areas. They have an extremely typical culinary culture, a well-organized human lifestyle, and a natural landscape that is attractive enough to all visitors in the world.

However, according to Elliot Chen, that is just what people feel about Japan when traveling here. As a Chinese living in Japan for a long time, Chen has shared some of the dark side of this flashy society through an article on the Quora forum and received many responses from community.

“Having a Japanese girlfriend who knows Japanese and stays in Japan long enough, I believe I can make analysis of how shocked I am with the misunderstandings many people have.”

“Japan is a country that hides many weaknesses underneath its flashy appearance, which outsiders often enjoy before looking out the deep inside.”

1. Japan is a rich country?

The first point that impresses a lot of visitors is the shiny and light-filled Shinjuku area. There is everything from very special and extremely delicious foods, to extremely modern and perfect toilets.

But in fact, when digging deep, Chen realized that many Japanese people were gradually entering the line of poverty. “I once spent the night in a manga cafe – a kind of Japanese restaurant, including computers, drinking water, even a bathroom for people who want to read comic books to relax. But when I woke up in the morning, I realize there are many people living in such cafes. “ – Chen shared.

“They wake up, dress up and then go to work. Some people like me – are tourists, but a lot of others come here to work part-time jobs, to maintain their viability in this city.”

The average Japanese salary has actually dropped quite a lot in the past two decades. Government debt is always at 200% of GDP, and tends to continue to widen.

“If you live in a big city like Tokyo, but even the most flashy areas like Shibuya, you will realize Japan is in trouble. Many shops have to close because they can not do business. Small businesses unable to compete with the large chain of shops and restaurants around the train stations, their viability is lower.

According to Chen, Japan is now a bad place to start a business. Small businesses and innovative ideas are often constrained by the fear of failure, and the conservative structure at work. “With the internet boom and smartphone revolution, Japan cannot take advantage of it. Sony, its most famous technology brand has framed itself, like many of the most famous brands in the Japanese economy. “

In the labor and commodity markets, Japan is also becoming increasingly difficult to compete. “The country becomes rich when wages are low. But the rising average income makes their goods prices difficult to compete. Even the entertainment industry cannot compare with Korea anymore.” . “

“Young people tend to leave their hometowns for more developed cities to look for opportunities, but that also makes the local economy worse.”

2. Are Japanese people polite and friendly?

Certainly, Japanese people – as well as many other parts of the world – are very polite in specific situations. They can be friendly with guests and foreigners. However, they are less friendly with service workers and people in low positions.

“I am Chinese. My Western friends will receive a very polite response. When I say nothing, I will be treated as a normal Japanese. If I use Japanese less If I don’t use English or use it, what I receive is less. “

“Colored people are the worst. They are truly discriminated against, though the Japanese rarely admit this.”

“I live in the same house as some Japanese people. They rarely talk, don’t even look in the eyes, or try to avoid each other in the common room. In fact, in Japanese culture, they don’t like interacting. to strangers, don’t try to improve that either. “

In public, the Japanese have a different attitude. Japanese society exists a concept called “tatemae”, referring to the act of smiling and bowing that tourists often see. Foreigners and tourists rarely see the unfriendly tone of Japanese people here if it’s not long enough.

3. Japanese are always happy?

Eliot Chen in Japan

Actually not! The smiles that tourists see are simply what they try to show off. Moreover, in Japanese culture, it is rude to appear unhappy.

It is a fact that the suicide rate in Japan is always very high. According to Chen, it was common for someone to jump onto the train tracks, so much so that authorities had to send in a team to prevent such incidents. However, the suicide rate is still very high, so much so that the government has imposed fines for families with loved ones to kill themselves.

In Japan there are people who refuse to participate in social life, confining themselves to their homes for longer than six months, called “hikikomori”. It is estimated that 10 million people of working age choose such a lifestyle. They do not want to work to death to support their families, but to immerse themselves in personal interests and depend on their parents.

Conclusion

Although pointing out the dark sides of Japanese society, Chen said the country has a lot of lovely things, and he himself loves the country of the rising sun. It’s just that, people don’t expect too much, because nothing in this world is perfect, right?

Source: Buzz Feed, WOB, Quora